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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Oliver Browning

Watch: Sunak faces Starmer at PMQs amid plan to quash Post Office convictions

UK PARLIAMENT/AFP via Getty Imag

Watch as Rishi Sunak faces Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 10 January.

Much of the discussion was around the Post Office scandal, which has dominated headlines in recent days.

The government is “very close” to announcing how it will clear the names of those wrongly convicted in the Horizon IT scandal, according to postal services minister Kevin Hollinrake.

Mr Sunak came under pressure from MPs to set out how the government will exonerate hundreds of subpostmasters accused of swindling money as a result of the flawed computer system.

The government says compensation has been paid to more than 2,700 claimants, but hundreds were also prosecuted over shortfalls in their branches caused by software errors.

Another 130 people have come forward after an ITV show dramatised what has been described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history.

The Government is considering emergency legislation to overturn all convictions but there are concerns that it could be seen to be interfering with the independent courts process by quashing them “en bloc”, Mr Hollinrake said.

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